Wire twisting and tinning machine



March 5, 1957 H. D. SCHARF 2,783,525

WIRE TWISTING AND TINNINGMACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 1Tlc l.

IN V EN TOR. zazzr 0. J2m

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March 5, 1957 H. D. SCHARF WIRE TWISTING AND TINNING MACHINE F 2 .M t w15 h m; V. s t I w H h 4 s 5 5 M w D B T 2J ma 4 2 a 5 9 l a 8 4 w v m M.w 4 l m BY ATTOERNEY.

March 5, 1957 H, D, SCHARF 2,783,525

WIRE TWISTING AND TINNING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 31N VEN TOR.

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A TTOR NE Y.

March 5, 1957 H. D. SCHARF WIRE TWISTING AND TINNING MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 18, 1952 I N V EN TOR $1 5 597 0; 0244912,

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March 5, 1957 H. D. SCHARF 2,783,525

WIRE TWISTING AND TINNING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N V EN TOR. wQZ-zaaer 0. SCA AE'F H TTOR'NE Y.

United States Patent ice WIRE TWISTING AND TINNIYG MACHINE Herbert D.Scharf, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 18, 1952, Serial No. 321,104

41 Claims. (Cl. 29-33) This invention relates to a machine whichautomatically performs the successive operations of twisting thestripped ends. of stranded insulated wires and dipping the twisted endssuccessively in flux and solder.

At the present time where large volume production is involved inmanufacturing various electrical, radio and television assemblies andappliances, large numbers of wires must be prepared in advance for themechanic or technician to solder into position between variouscomponents. Stranded wires with their ends stripped of insulation mustbe twisted and successively dipped in flux and solder and theseoperations are now performed manually at a low production rate. Thismanual procedure is arduous and often causes injuries to the hands ofthe worker.

In order to obviate the serious limitations of production by theforegoing manual operations and also to prevent serious injuries tofingers and hands, I provide a machine that automatically twists thestripped stranded ends of wires and then dips the twisted ends intobaths of flux and molten solder, successively. This machine, whichprocesses wires at a substantially higher rate than accomplished bymanual means, comprises a continuously revolving and reciprocating shafthaving a pair of twisting jaws on one end, and a conveyor systemoperating in conjunction with said shaft to present wires one by one tothe twisting jaws. Another mechanism integrated with thetwisting jawshaft and the conveyor system operates to dip the twisted end of eachwire into successive baths of flux and molten solder.

In one embodiment of the invention, the twisting jaws may be arranged tocut and strip insulation from the wire ends as well as twist thestrands.

The machine of the present invention does away with arduous manual laborand produces an output of twisted and dipped wires at a ratecommensurate with modern mass production operations in industry. Alsothe machine produces more uniform twist to the wire strands than can beattained by manual means.

As used herein, the term stranded is intended to embrace all forms ofwire wherein a plurality of individual strands are longitudinallygrouped together within an insulating sleeve and forming a conductivepath. The apparatus described herein is adapted to process such strandedwire, whether the group of strands are pre-twisted or not.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a machine forthe processing of stranded wires having means for feeding individualpieces of wire, means for twisting the exposed stranded end of the wire,and means for dipping the twisted ends of said wires into baths of fluxand solder, successively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism adaptedto twist the exposed end of stranded wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel carriage feedmechanism whereby wires may be successively fed to a wire twister and tosuccessive baths of flux and solder.

2,783,525 Patented Mar. 5, 1957 Still another object of, the inventionisv to provide a novel feed mechanism for gripping and transportingwires whereby the gripping mechanism is automatically operated forloading and discharging wires.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forautomatically stripping insulation from the ends of wires.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forautomatically stripping insulation from the ends of stranded wires andsubstantially simultaneously twisting the exposed stranded ends of saidwires.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical system whichoperates the twisting mechanism and the feed carriage mechanismconjointly whereby the wires are fed at suitable intervals for thetwisting and dipping operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a twisting. mechanismthat produces a uniform twist in the exposed wire strands that issuperior to the twist produced by hand.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wire twistingmechanism which comprises a constantly rotating shaft capable ofreciprocating longitudinal motion and a pair of gripping jaws on saidshaft, the operation of said jaws being coordinated with thereciprocating motion of said shaft whereby said jaws operate to open andclose at predetermined periods during each reciprocating cycle of theshaft.

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthe specification.

The features of novelty which I believe to be characteristic of myinvention are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. Myinvention itself, however,

both as toits fundamental principles and asto its particularembodiments, will best be understood by reference to the specificationand accompanying drawings, in which-' Figure 1 is a top schematic planview of the machine of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side section view looking in the same direction as Fig. 2,and taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a vertical cross section taken approximately on line 44 ofFig. 2, parts being omitted and broken away;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section view of a portion of Fig. 4,parts being omitted, showing the operating members in their extendedposition;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the wire holding conveyormembers;

Fig. 7 shows an end view of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrowin Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side section view looking in the reverse direction to Fig. 4and taken approximately on line 8--8 of Figs. 1 or 4, parts beingomitted or broken away;

Fig. 9 shows an enlarged fragmentary detail view partly in elevation andpartly in section of the twister shaft and the operating mechanism for.the twister jaws;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the twisting jaws and themechanism which operates to open and close said jaws;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an insulation cutting attachment, whichmay optionally be attached to one or both of the jaws in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the conveyor chainsupport;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a typical wedge cam for operating the twisterjaws;

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a typical twister shaft cam for producingrectilinear motion of said shaft;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a stranded wire having one end strippedof insulation.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the end of the wire after twisting; i

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the end of the wire after twistinganddipping in flux and solder; and 1 'Fig. 18 is a perspectiveview ofaninsulated wire showing the manncr in which theinsulation may be cut bythe attachment shown in Fig. 11.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, themain operative parts of themachine are supported by means of three vertical frames 11 12 and 13bolted to table 14. See Fig. 4. To the. rear of frame 11 is an electricmotor 15 (Fig. 1) serving as a source of powerand whoseshaft 16 isconnected to input shaft 17 of gear reducer 18 by means of pulleys 19and 21 joined by belt 22. Motor 15 and gear reducer18 are both bolted totable 14.

Output. shaft 23 of gear reducer 18 is connected by means of coupling 24to drive shaft 25 rotatably supported in suitable bearings positioned inframes 11 and 13.' Drive shaft25 is arranged to rotate at a-constantspeed. A twistershaft 26 rotates in bearings 27 and 28 connected toframes 11 and 12, respectively. Rotary motion is imparted to shaft 26 bymeans of a pulley train comprising shaft 25 mentioned above, shaft 29supported between frames 11 and 12, shaft 31 supported between frames 11and 32, with pulley 33 mounted on shaft 25, pulleys 34 and 35 on shaft29, pulleys 36 and 37 on shaft "31 and pulley 38 on shaft 26. Belts 39,41 and 42 connect the respective pulleys whose various diameters arechosen to multiply the rotational speed of driveshaftZS to produce ahigher rotational speed on shaft 26.

Twister shaft 26 is capable of reciprocal longitudinal motionthrough-bronze bearing sleeves 43 and'44 which are connected to androtate with the inner races of ball bearings 27 and 28, respectively;'See Fig 9.

, Shaft 26 has a built up portion 47 which slides longitudinally withinbearingsleeve 44 and rotates with shaft 26.

'Within built up, portion 47 are two longitudinal slots positionedsubstantially 180 apart and through which pins 48 move longitudinally.

' Connected to the forward end ofeach pin; 48 is a wedge cam 49 whichismovable longitudinally over the side of shaft 26. The rear ends ofpine 48 are connected to a sleeve ,50 .which is freely movablelongitudinally over shaft 26 and rotatesntherewith :Sleeveiilisconnected to the inner race of ball bearing 51, whose outer race isenclosed by. stationary ring 52.

' Connected tol the forwardendof twister shaft 26 is a small cylinder 54whose longitudinal axis is-. -s ubstantially perpendicular to the axisof shaft 26. inserted within cylinder54 is a second cylindrical sleeve55 which; rotates freely within cylinder 54,.and inserted-within sleeve55 is a pivot pin 56which rotates freely within sleeve 55.

' As shown in Fig. lthlever arm 57- is connected to one end of sleeve 55while lever 58 isconnected to the opposite end of pin 56, arms 57 and 58operating with a scissors-like motion relativeto each other. Attached tothe rear ofeach arm 57 and 58 are pins 59 and 61, respectively, overwhich may be placed roller sleeves 62 and 63, respectivelyl Connectedbetweenpin 61 attached to arm 58and bracket 64 attached to arm 57 is aspring 65 which normallyurges arms 57 and58 into a closed graspingposition. Arms 57 and 58 are opened by means .of wedge earns 49 movingforward along shaftld and causing roller sleeves 62, 63 to ride up thecam surfaces 66. Arms 57 and 58 are maintained in the open. positionwhen wedge cams 49 .arethrust forward sufiiciently so that rollersleeves 62 and 63 are. positioned on dwell cam surfaces 67.

Connected to the forward ends ofarms: S'Zand 58 are twister jaws 68 and69, respectively. The opposingfaces of jaws 68 and 69 have surfaces.which are. suitably adapted to. grip the exposed ends .of strandedwireand to twist said strands when said jaws are closed. against eachother and revolve about the longitudinal axis of the wire. In some casesit may be desirable to attach to jaws 68 and 69 specialgripping'material in the form of pads 71 which are made of suitablematerials such as rubber, nylon, Bakelite or the like, which can gripand twist the wire strands without injuring them.

In order to ensure that the wire is fed centrally between twisting jaws68 and 69, there may be attached to one of the jaws a spring blade clip72 having a substantially perpendicular leg 73 in which a V-shaped slot74 is cut. As jaws.63 and 69 rotate and come together, the wire iscaught in slot 74 and centered betwecnjthe closing jaws. When jaws 68and 69 are closed together to grip the wire, the yieldableclip 72 ispushed back out of the way by the wire urging against the crotch of slot74.

The operation of twisting the strands of wire requires two separate butcoordinated motions on the part of the twister shaft and the twistingjaws. Although bothshaft 26 and jaws 63 and 69 rotate constantly at thesame speed, various motions are required first to advance the openjawsover the end of the wire, then to close the jaws over the wire andwhile the jaws are closed, the shaft and jaws must be retracted, therebytwisting the full length of the exposed strands.

These coordinated motions are derived from upright cam shaft 76connected to drive shaft 25 (Figs. 1 and 3) by means of interactingmitre gears 77 and 78, connected to shaft 25 and 76, respectively, saidcam shaft 76 being supported by means of bearings 80 and 800 connectedby suitable brackets (not shown) to frame 11. Shafts 25 and 76 rotate ata 1 to 1 ratio relative to each other. Attached to shaft 76 are two cams79 and 81, positioned one above the other. Cam 79 serves to produce therec tilinear motion for twister shaft 26 while cam 81 serves to operatethe jaw opening and closing mechanism.

The mechanism for producing rectilinear motion of twister shaft 26(Figs. 1, 4, 9) comprises a ball bearing 82 Whose inner race isconnected to and rotates with shaft 26. The outer race is press-fittedto a stationary ring 83. Link levers 84 and are connected near one endto the top and bottom, respectively, of ring 83 by means of pins 36fixed in ring 83 and extending throughv slots 87 in levers 84 and 85.Slots 87 are provided so that levers 84 and 85 may move angularly withrespect to shaft 26 and yet move said shaft in either direction. This ismade possible by pins 86 moving longitudinally in slots 87. The rearwardends of levers 84 and 85 are pivotally connected to pin 88 positioned inbrackets 89 connected to frame 11. (Figs. 1, 3.)

Connected to the underside of lever 85 is acam follower 91 (Fig. 3)which cooperates with the surface of rotating cam 79. The surfaces ofcam 79 (Fig. 14) are arranged to provide the following motions fortwister shaft 26. Starting at X where shaft 26 is fully retracted towardframe 11, sector A causes shaft 26 to advance forward toward frame13with gripper jaws open; section B causes the shaft to dwell in theadvanced position; while sector C causes the gradual retraction of theshaft to a point where sector D maintains the shaft fully retracted.

The action of cam 79 against the cam follower 9.1.- which is connectedonly to lever 35, causes the motion of both levers 84 and. 85 since theforward ends of both levers are connected to the same stationary ring83. The action of cam 79 operates against the action of spring 92connected between the outer end of lever 84 and a suitable bracket onframe 11, said spring normally urging shaft 26 i nto the retractedposition. (Fig. l.)

The mechanism for operating the twister jaws comprises a pair of levers93 and 94 connected to ring-52 by-means of pins 95 fixed in ring 52- andextending through slots 96in levers93 and94, said'slots permittingangular motion ofsaid levers relative to'the' rectilinear motion oftwister shaft 26 (Figs. 1, 3 and'9).

ateaca g ,The distance between levers 93 and 94, is smaller thanthatbetween levers 84 and 85 to permit levers 93,.and 94 tobe pivotallyconnected also to pin 88, whereby each pair of levers may operateindependently. Accordingly, the outside diameter of ring 52 is smallerthan that of ring 83.

Connected to the underside of lever 93 is cam follower 97 (Fig. 3) whichcooperates with the surface of rotating cam 81. The surfaces of cam 81(Fig. 13) are arranged to provide the following motions for twister arms57 and 58.

During the last 40 of section D of Fig. 14, while shaft 26 is in thefully retracted position, sector E of cam 81 causes levers 93 and 94 topush sleeve 50 forward along shaft 26 in advance of the forward motionof shaft 26. Sleeve 50 carrying pins 48 forward cause wedge cams 49 torapidly open twister arms 57 and 58 so that the rotating twister jaws 68and 69 are carried in an open position by cam dwell sector F beyond theend of the preferred wire until shaft 26 reaches the furthest extent ofits forward motion.

As soon as shaft 26 has been advanced to its furthest forward motion,jaws 68 and 69 are in position ready to close over the proffered end ofthe wire. At this point, cam sector G permits the sudden withdrawal ofwedge earns 49 under the action of spring 99 connected be tween the endof bar 93 and a bracket on frame 11. The sudden withdrawal of wedgeearns 49 rearwardly on shaft 26 permits spring 65 to close twister arms57 and 58 whereby the rotating twister jaws 68 and 69 grasp the strandedend of the proferred wire. During the remaining portion of sector H ofthe cycle of cam 81, the twister jaws remain closed.

After the twister jaws are closed over the stranded end of the wire fora short period of time, shaft 26 begins to retract during sector C ofcam 79 so that an even twist is produced on the stranded end of thewire. The various dimensions of the sectors of cams 79 and 81 areillustrative of one embodiment of the present invention, and it isunderstood that other suitable sector proportions may be derived as wellas other suitable mechanisms for actuating and timing the twister shaftand twister jaws.

A combination conveyor feed system for bringing the wires into positionfor twisting and for subsequently dipping the twisted ends of the wireinto successive baths of flux and molten solder is provided on the outerside of frame 13 (Figs. 1 and 2). The conveyor system is mounted onshafts 101 and 102 rotatably supported in bearings 103, 104, and 105,106, respectively in frames 11 and 13. Shafts 101 and 102 extend throughto the outside of frame 13.

On the outer end of shaft 101 is mounted a sprocket wheel 107, while asomewhat smaller sprocket wheel 108 is mounted on the outer end of shaft102. An endless link chain 109 operatively connects sprocket wheels 107and 108.

Intermittent action is provided to advance chain 109 step by step inorder to feed the wires one by one to the twisting mechanism. Thisintermittent movement is produced by means of a geneva disk 111connected to shaft 101 on the inner side of frame 13 (Figs. 1, 3 and 8)and having a plurality of slots 112 which are successively engaged by asingle roller pin 113 carried between disks 114 and 115 which areattached to and rotate with drive shaft 25. By means of this arrangementthe constant motion of drive shaft is translated into the intermittentmotion of shaft 101. Each rotation of shaft 25 thereby produces afractional rotation of shaft 101, the number of evenly spaced slots 112determining the distance of stepping transit of chain 109.

An indexing mechanism for geneva disk 111 (Fig. 8) is provided by meansof a lever 116 pivotally connected to pin 117 on the inner side of frame13. A roller 118 attached to the free end of lever 116 is urgeddownwardly by the action of spring 119 connected betweenbar-116 and asuitable bracket on frame'13, roller 118;,cooperating with the mouths ofslots 112 to fix the position of disk 111 and accordingly shaft 101 andchain 109 at the desired intervals. When disk 111 rotates, roller 118yieldably rides around the periphery of disk 11 against the action ofspring 119. 3-

Attached to the outer side of frame 13 is a bar 121 forming a supporttrack on which chain 109 rides in its traverse from the top of sprocketwheel 108 to the top of sprocket wheel 107. (Figs. 2, 8 and 12). In thismanner chain 109 is prevented from sagging so that the Wires may bepresented properly in alignment for the twisting and dipping operationsto be described hereinafter.

Eachalternate link on chain 109 is provided with a pair of angleextensions 123 forming aplatform (Fig. 12) to which is attached leaf 124of a hinge whose other freely movable leaf 125, pivoted on pin 126,normally jisfolded back over leaf 124 (Fig. 6). The pivot portion of thehinge extends a short distance beyond the edge of the extension 123nearest frame 13. j

The wire holding member (Figs; 6 and 12) comprises abracket bar 127attached to the freely movable leaf 125 of the hinge. Bar 127 normallylies in a substantially horizontal position. In the upper surface at oneend of bar 127 is a longitudinal V-shaped groove 128 at the outer end ofwhich is a cut away recess which accommodates a grip bar 129 extendingperpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of bar 127. Grip bar 129 ispivotally connected to bar 127 by means of pin 131 positionedlongitudinally in bar 127.

A portion of bar 127 is cut away to form a recess through which pin 131extends. Torsion spring 132 is coiled around pin 131, one end of saidspring being connected to bar 129 and the other end being suitablyanchored in bar 127. Y

The lower end of bar 129and the crotch of groove 128 cooperate to formgripping jaws for a wire 133 (Fig. 7) that may be inserted into groove128. The action of spring 132 normally keeps said gripping mechanismclosed and provides sufficient force to maintain said wire motionlesswhile its end is being twisted.

Attached to the outer end of bar 129 by means of a suitable pin is aball bearing 134 whose outer race serves to cooperate with a cam,described below, whereby bar 129 may be moved outwardly to opengroove128when it is required to load a wire into said groove beforetwisting, and when the wire is to be ejected from the groove after ithas been twisted and dipped. W

Although a stationary cam bar might be-attached'to the outer side offrame 13 near Wheel 108 to bear against roller 134 as the wire holdingmembers approach near or at the top of wheel 108 in order to open groove128 to load wire into it, it may be desirable to provide a positiveopening mechanism as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8.

Power for operating the opening mechanism of the wire holding members isderived from a sprocket wheel 135 connected to and rotating with'driveshaft 25(Fig. 8). Sprocket wheel 136 which is freely and independentlyrotatable around shaft 102 is connected to and driven by sprocket wheel135 by means of link chain 137. Connected to and rotating with sprocketwheel 136 is a cam 138. See also Fig. 12.

Attached to frame 13 is an upright bracket 139 (Fig. '8) to which ispivotally connected at bar 141 having one leg 142 which extendsdownwardly and at the end of which is fastened a cam follower 143 whichcooperates with cam 138. Bar 141 has a second leg 144 to which isconnected at forwardly extending cam bar 145 (see Fig. 1) which bearsagainst roller 134 on the wire holding member as the latter approachesthe top of sprocket wheel 108.

Cam follower 143 is continuously urged againstt he surface of cam 138 bymeans'of spring 146 connected between leg 142 anda suitable bracket onframe 13. While 'cam 1 follower-143 is on" -the high dwell portion ofcam 1 38,=-as shown iii-Figs. 2 and 8,-cam bar--145depresses r oller434of' the*first wire holding mechanism, thereby moving ba'r'129 to opengroove128 in bar 127 to permit 'a'wire'to-be inserted'therein. Thisaction takes place avhile -chain 109 is'moving a wire holding mechanismtowards a position where it becomes stationary by the operation ofthegenevadisk 111 mechanism described hereinabove. While the genevamechanism holds chain 109.-stationary, cam'138'continues to rotate sothat roller 143 moves to the lowest portion-of cam 136, thereby raisingbar 145 topermit roller 134 to pass out of contact with'bar 145; and theaction of spring 132 causes bar 129 to snap back into the grippingposition to hold the wire: firmly in-groovc 128 of the wire holdingmechanism. -This closing operation takes place just before the genevamechanism reactivates the motion of chain 141?.

Sprocket wheels 135 and 136 produce a l to 1 ratio of rotationbetweendrive shaft 25 and the high dwell portion of cam' 138. Since eachrevolution of shaft 25 produces a single step advance of the wireholding members, then Leach-revolution of cam 138 will produce acoordinated opening action by cam bar 145 on roller 134.ASlCfiCl'l'WlI'E holding member is held open by cam bar 145,: arsinglewire is loaded manually or mechanically 'endtof the Wire to twist thestrands and shaft 26 is being retracted, the pull on the end of the wiremight cause the .wire holding member to rise on its hinge mounting andthereby prevent the proper twisting of the stranded wire. in order topreventthis, there is provided an L shaped extension. 147.connected tosupport bar 121 which bends around to engage the outward end of bar 127when the wire gripping mechanism is in position opposite the twist- :ingshaft 26. Extension 147 serves to prevent bar 127 fromrising'on: itshinge mounting when the twister jaws are exerting apulling. force on thewire gripped therein.

Pursuant to ithestepping action of the geneva disk mechanism, :chain 109continuously but intermittently moves from them of sprocket wheel 168 tothe top of sprocket wheel-107 and then around the bottoms of said wheelsintheureverse direction. bars are continuously loaded with wire at thetop of sprocket wheel '108; and said members are advanced in steppedstages, each stopping for a predetermined period in front of'the wiretwisting mechanism which moves laterally through a suitable aperture inframe 13.

Before thewires are inserted into the wire holding members, theinsulation from their ends have been previously stripped exposing thestrands of wire shown in Fig. 15. -These strahds are presented by thewire holding *membenin a position substantially opposite the axial line.of twister shaft 26. While the wire holding member is stationary, thetwisting mechanism operates to produce a twist in the wire strands asshown in Fig. 16. After a wire has been twisted and the twistingmechanism has retracted out of the way, chain 109 moves another loadedwireholding. member to the position in front of the twistingmechanism.

After; the. stranded ends of the wires are properly twiste d=,3:the.same wire holding member on the conveyor chaiu. -is.-.utilized to dipthe twisted ends into successive baths 148' and 149.: of flux and moltensolder, respectively. Said baths 148 and 149 are attached to the outerwall of:frame 13"(Fig; 2). A source of heat (not shown) may be;provided'for the solder bath 149 in order to keep the solder atthe'proper molten temperature.

The wire holding mem- In order-for the twisted wire ends to'be dippedinthe solder baths, the wires must be raised'into a substantially verticalposition over said'baths. This is made possible by the fact that thewire holding members on chain' 109 are attached to hinges which permitthe wire holders to be moved on the hinge pivot 126 into asubstantially'vertical position. -See Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 8.

The mechanism for lifting the wire holders comprises two bushings 152rotatable around pin 153 connected to bracket 154 which is attached tothe outside wall of frame 13. See Figs. 4 and 5. Connected to eachbushing 152 is an outwardly extending elbowed bracket 154 to which isconnected an upwardly extending lifting arm 155 by means of hinge 156.The free end of each lifting arm 155 terminates in a lifting bracket 157and a lowering bracket 158.

The lowering bracket 158 is in the form of a bar which joins bothlifting arms, the length of the bar being substantially equal to thespace occupied by three wire holding members.

The lifting bracket 157 is connected on the underside of each arm 155 insubstantially a V-relationship with bracket 158. Two separate brackets157 are provided, one for each lifting arm, in order to leave a space inthe center where no lifting action takes place.

. The reason for this is that it is necessary to lift only two wireholding members at the same time, one for dipping a Wire in flux whileanother further along in the train dips a wire in solder, the bathsbeing separated from each other by a suitable space.

When a wire has been dipped in the first bath which contains a flux, itis necessary to lower its holding memher by means of bracket 158 inorder that the clipped end of the wire does not collide with the wall ofthe flux bath. Between baths 148 and 149 the wire holding member remainslowered until the next forward motion of chain 109 brings it intoposition where it is lifted to dip the'flux coated wire into solder bath149 where it is coated with solder as shown in Fig. 17.

It will be noted that the lifting and lowering mechanism for the Wireholding members is timed to operate while chain 169 is at a standstill,and that when chain 109 moves, the outer free ends of the wire holdingmembers pass freely between brackets 157 and 158.

Bracket 154 and arm 155 are joined by spring 161 which normally urgessaid bracket and arm together (Figs. 4 and 5). In order to limit theinward movement of arm 155 toward bracket 154, a stop plate 162 isconnected only to that leaf of the hinge which is-attached to bracket154. In Fig. 4 it can be seen that plate- 162 limits the inward motionof arm 155 o that sufiicient space is maintained on the underside ofbracket 158 to permit bars 127 of the wire holding members to movefreely into position under said bracket The mechanism for operating thelifting and lowering means for the wire holding members comprises asmall sprocket wheel 163 attached to and rotating with pin 153 (Figs. 4and 5), said wheel 163 being connected by link chain 164 to a largersprocket wheel 165 rota-tably connected to bracket 166 on frame 12.

Sprocket wheel 165 is turned by means of arm 167 connected to bracket168 attached to said wheel. Arm 167 lies substantially parallel to theface of wheel 165 and the angular movement of arm 167 causes therotation of said wheel.

The movement of arm 167 is produced by bar 169 connected at one end tothe end of arm 167 by means of a suit-able universal joint forming aflexible elbow, bar 169 being adjustable in length, if desired. Theother end of bar 169'i pivotally connected to bracket 171 attached tothe underside of bar 85 which was described above as producing therectilinear motion for the twister shaft 26.

When bar 85 moves under the action of cam 79, this motion is translatedthrough bar 169, arm 167, wheels "165 and 163 tothe' lifting andlowering'me'chanism. It

will be noted that the relatively shortmotion of bar 85 is magnified bythe utilization of a large wheel 165 to which a comparatively smallwheel 163 is linked. This magnification of motion together with thenovel arrange ment of bracket 154 and am 158 produces a substantially 90motion on the part of the wire holding members.

After the wires have been dipped successively in flux and molten solder,they pass along in the wire holding members toward and over sprocketwheel 107 (Fig. 2). When a wire holder is in the lower right quadrant ofwheel .107, roller 134 is depressed against the action of spring 132 bymeans of cam bar 172 attached to the outside wall of frame 13. Theaction of cam bar 172 causes the wire holding groove 128 to be opened,thereby releasing wire 133 which falls by gravity to table 14 or into asuitable receptacle provided for the purpose After wire 133 has beenexpelled, roller 134 is released by cam bar 172 as chain 109 movesforward, and the wire holding member, with gripping bar 129 restored tothe closed position by spring 132, travels on chain 109 to the left oversprocket wheel 108 to be loaded again with an untwisted wire.

While the apparatus herein has been described as adapted to twist theexposed strands of wire where the insulation had been previouslystripped, it is within the purview of the present invention to providefor the stripping of the insulation from the end of the wiresimultaneously with the twisting of the strands. This adaptation of themachine can readily be made by attaching cutter blade 173 (Fig. 11) tothe outer end of arm 57 in place of clip 72. Blade 173 had aperpendicular extension 174, the central edge of which had asubstantially U-sh'aped, sharp, cutting notch. As gripping arms 57 and58 close upon the retraction of wedges 49, gripper jaws 71 come togetherbringing the cutting notch down around the insulation of the wire in thewire holding member. Since the cutting notch rotates rapidly with therotating gripping jaw, an incision will be quickly made in theinsulation of the wire as shown in Fig. 18, the depth of said cuttingnotch being arranged to out only the insulation and not to damage thewire strands. The severed portion of insulation 175 will be gripped bythe gripper jaws 71 and in thi em bodiment spring 65 is arranged to bestrong enough so that the gripping action has sufliicient force also totwist the strands of wire inside the severed portion of insulationthereby twisting said strands in the desired manner as describedhereinabove. The retraction of the twister shaft 26 will pull off theinsulation portion 175 and will leave the exposed strands in a twistedcondition.

.In some embodiments it may be desired only to strip insulation fromsolid wire in which case only the cutting action of blade 173 will berequired.

In the case of solid wires having a varnish insulation, where it isdesired to remove the insulation from the ends of the wires, pads 71 maybe made of a suitable abrasive material which will rub ofi the varnishinsulation and leave a smooth surface on the end of the wire for dippingin flux and solder.

In the specification, I have explained the principles of my invention,and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying thoseprinciples, so as to dis tinguish my invention from other inventions;and I have particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed the part,mode or combination which I claim as my invention or discovery. j 7

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that modifications 'and changes may bemadewithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof,as will, beclear to those skilled in the art. H

I-claimi .1.,l.,;An apparatus for processingflnsulated stranded wirescomprising means for supporting a wire in position, second means fortwisting the exposedstranded ends of said wire, said second means beingadapted to rotate continuously while first approaching toward; and overthe stripped end of the wire, next gripping saidiend and then, while inthe gripping position, retracting from said end, thereby producing atwist in said strands.

2. A machine for processing insulated stranded wires, the ends of whichhave been stripped of insulation, which comprises a rotatable shaft, amechanism for continu ously rotating said shaft, means operated by saidmecha anism for imparting a longitudinal reciprocating motion tosaidshaft, a pair of jaws on the forward end of said shaft, means onsaid shaft operative to open and close said jaws, said jaw operativemeans being connected to the mechanism for producing said reciprocatingmotion, and means for feeding said wire one by one to a position wherethe ends of said wires are engaged by said aws.

3. An apparatus for processing stranded wires which comprises wireholding devices for advancingwires one by one to a twisting position,means operative to grasp the. exposed stranded ends of said wire totwist said strands and mechanism for moving each holding device as itholds the wire having twisted ends to a solder bath for dipping.

- 4. An apparatus for processing stranded wires which comprises wiregripping means for gripping and advancing wires one by one to a twistingposition, means operative to grasp the exposed stranded ends of saidwire to twist said strands and means for moving said wire gripping meanswhile they are still holding said twisted wire to dip said twisted endsof the wires successively in flux and solder baths.

5. An apparatus for processing stranded wires which comprises means foradvancing wires one by one successively to a twisting position, andmeans operative to grasp the exposed stranded ends of said wire and totwist said strands.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said twisting meanscomprises a rotatable shaft, gripper. jaws on said shaft, means on saidshaft to open and close said gripper jaws, means for producing alongitudinal reciproeating motion of said shaft to advance said grippingjaws toward the wire positioned opposite said shaft, means for operatingsaid gripping jaws to close about the exposed strands of said wire.

' 7. An apparatus for processing stranded wires which comprises meansfor advancing wires one by one successively to a twisting position,means operative to twist the exposed strands of said wires, saidtwisting means comprising arotatable shaft, gripper jaws on said shaft,means on said shaft to open and close said gripper jaws, means forproducing a longitudinal reciprocating motion on said shaft to advancesaid gripping jaws toward said stripping position, means for operatingsaid gripping jaws to close about said exposed strands of wire, andmeans operative to retract said jaws while gripping said strands.

8. An apparatus for processing stranded wires which comprises means foradvancing wires one by one successively to a twisting position, meansoperative to twist the exposed strands of said wire, said twisting meanscomprising a rotatable shaft, gripper jaws on said shaft, means on saidshaft to open and close said gripper jaws, means for producingareciprocating motion of said shaft to advance said gripping'jaws towardsaid twisting position, means for operating said gripping jaws to closeabout said exposed strands of wire, and meansoperative to retract saidjaws while gripping said strands, said advancing means and said twistingmeans being operatively connected to each other; s i 9. An apparatus forprocessingstranded wires com prisiug a source of'power, carriage meansconnected tg said power source for carrying successive wires to a'twisoi-n'g positionpa twisting mechanismcomprising a rotatable shaftoperatedby'said p'ower'so'urce, twistingrneans' on said shaft operableby lsaidpower source to twistthe stranded end 'of said wire, meansconnected to said powersource for producing a reciprocal longitudinalmotion on said twisting means, said mechanisms being coordinated-wherebysaid-wire isfed one'byone to'a stationary position where said twistingmeans are operative toproduce a twist in the stranded wires.

:10. An apparatus according to'claim 9, wherein said wire advancingmeans-comprises a plurality of wire holding members, yieldable'rneansfor gripping wires in said members,-and cam means for operatingsaidyieldable means to open said gripping means for theinsertion ofwires into said members.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, and further comprising a fluxbath and a solder bath connected to said apparatusin apositionsubsequent to the wire twisting pos'itiommea'ns connected to said powersource for moving said wire holding members while still holding thewires with the twisted ends to a position whereby the twistedendsgripped therein are dipped successively in said baths.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 and further comprising cam meansattached to said apparatus prior to the twisting position for operatingsaid wire gripping member to permit the insertion of a wire into thewire holding member, and operative to firmly grip the wire before saidmember begins to move.

13.-An apparatus according to claim 12, and further comprising a cammeans attached to said apparatus subsequent to the position of saidbaths, said cam means operative upon said yieldable gripping means torelease said wires from said wire holding members.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, and further comprising a wirepositioning means connected to at least one of said gripper jaws.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, and further comprising a cuttingmeans attached to one of said jaws operative to cut the insulation fromthe end of the wire in the wire holding member.

16.:A machine for processing insulated wire comprising a power source, ashaft rotated around its longitudinal axis by said power source, a pairof jaws on one end of said shaft and rotating therewith, said jawsoperative to open and close toward and away from the axial lineofsaid-shaft,'means connected to said power source for producing areciprocating longitudinal motion of said shaft while said shaft isrotating, and means on said shaft connected to said jaws and operated bysaid power source to operate said jaws.

17. A- machine according to claim 16, and further comprising amountingfor said shaft within which said shaft moves longitudinally, and cammeans connected between said power source and said shaft to produce saidreciprocal longitudinal movement upon said shaft.

18. A machine according to claim 17, and further comprising cam means onsaid shaft rotatable with said shaft and movable longitudinally alongsaid shaft independent of-the longitudinal movement of the shaft itself,said cam means being operative upon said jaws, and second cam meansconnected between said jaw cam means and said power source operative toopen and close said jaws during a portion of the time during which saidshaft moves in its longitudinal path.

l9.'A machine according to claim 18 wherein said cams for producing thelongitudinal motion of said shaft and producing the operation of saidjaws are mounted on a shaft connected to said power source, the shape ofsaid respective cams being such that said shaft 'moves longitudinallytoward and away from a position where a wire is held in a position in anextension of the axial line of "said shaft and said jaws are operativetoclose substatitially *at the 'forw'ardrn'ostlongitudinal position "ofsaid shaft "and to: remainclosed during a portion o'f the timewhensaid-kshaftis moving 'away from said wire.

-20. Ani'achine for processing: insulated wire comprising-a"power-source, a shaft rotated-around its longitudinalaxis by sa-idpower source, rneans connected 1 to said power-source for pro ducing areciprocating longitudinal motion on said shaft while said shaft isrotating, apair of jawson one end ofsaid shaft and rotatingtherew'ith,said jaws'operating t'ozopen'and close toward and away from the axialline of saidsnaft, means 'connectedto said power source tonoperate saidjaws independently .of the mechanism causingthe rotational andlongitudinal motion of said shaft.

21. A machine according to claim 20, and further comprising a cuttingblade attached to at'least one of said jaws,'the cutting edge of saidblade being adapted tocut the insulation only ofan insulated wire.

22. A machine according to claim 20, and further comprising a clip on atleast one of said'jaws, said clip having a recess adapted to center awire or the. like that is to begrasped by;said jaws when the latterclose.

23. A machine according to claim 20, andlfurther comprising a-knifeblade attached to at least one'of said jaws and adapted to cuttheinsulation only from an. insulated wire, gripping. faces on said jawsadapted to graspthe section of insulation cut from the end of .the wireby said'knife,-said jaws being adapted to exert pressure through=saidcut tpiece of insulation to strands of wire underneath saidinsulation to produce a twist in said strands.

24..A-rnachine according to claimZO, andvfurther comprisingv grippingfaces on said jaws, said gripping faces being an abrasive materialwhereby insulation material on wires may be removed by said grippingfaces as: they rotate.

'25. A machinefor processing insulated wire comprising a power source, ashaft rotated around its longitudinalaxis by said power source, a pairof jaws pivotally attached to one end of said shaft and rotatingtherewith, said jaws operative to open and close toward and away fromthe axial line of said shaft, wedge cams operative to. open and closesaid jaws, saidcams being movable longitudinally along said shaft, asleeve around said shaftconnected to said cams, said sleeve beingmovable longitudinally on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a rollerbearing, the inner race of said rollerbearing surrounding said shaft.and movable longitudinally thereover, a link connected to-the outer raceof said hearing, said' link being connected to said power source, asecond roller bearing, the inner race of saidsecond roller bearing beingconnected to and rotating with said shaft, a second link, said secondlink being connected to'the outer race of said second bearing, saidsecond link being connected to said power source, a first cam operatedby" said power source to. actuate said first link to move'said firsthearing, said sleeve and said cams- 1ongitudinally along said shaft, asecond cam connected to said-powersource operative upon said second linkto impart ii -longitudinal reciprocating motion on said' shaft.

26. A machine' forprocessinginshlated stranded-wires which comprises apower source, conveying-means connected to said power source forcarrying successive'wires to a stationary position, -arotatable shaftconnected to saidpower-source axially opposite said positiommeansoperated by said power source for imparting a longitudinal reciprocatingmotion to said shaft, a pair of jaws mounted. on theforward end of saidshaft and rotating therewith, meanson said shaft connected to said powersource. tov open; and close said jaws, the opposing surfaces of oppositejaws being adapted to grasp the exposed stranded ends of wires held bysaid conveying means when said jaws are closed to produce a twisttherein when said shaft is being retracted.

'27.A 'machine. according to claim26, and'further comprising a'liux bathand a. solder b'a'th, and'means connected to said powersource forsuccessively dipping the twisted wires held by said conveying means intosaid baths.

28. A machine according to claim 27 wherein said conveying meanscomprises an endless belt, a plurality of wire holders on said belt eachadapted to grasp a wire, means for periodically stopping said belt tocause said wire holding means to be stationary during the period whensaid wires are operated upon by said jaws.

29. A machine according to claim 28 wherein said wire holding membersare mounted on hinges, and means for causing the dipping of said wirescomprising means connected to said power source for moving said wireholders in and out of a dipping position while still holding the twistedends of wire when said wire holders are opposite the respective flux andsolder baths.

30. A machine according to claim 29 wherein said wire holding memberseach comprise a spring actuated jaw member adapted to grasp a wirefirmly.

31. A machine according to claim 30 wherein a cam on said machine isprovided to open said jaw members against the action of said springprior to the advancement thereof toward the twisting position of thewire to permit the insertion of the wire therein, the transit of saidjaw member past said cam permitting said jaw member to close upon saidwire prior to reaching the twisting position.

32. A machine according to claim 31, and further comprising a second cammember connected to said machine and positioned in the path of saidconveying means subsequent to said baths and adapted to actuate said jawmember to release the wire after it has been twisted and dipped.

33. A member for processing insulated wire which comprises a powersource, a rotatable shaft connected to said power source, means operatedby said power source for imparting a reciprocal longitudinal motion tosaid shaft, a pair of jaws on the forward end of said shaft, means onsaid shaft operated to open and close said jaws, said jaw operativemeans being independently connected to the mechanism for producing saidreciprocating motion, means on said jaws for cutting insulation from awire positioned opposite the forward end of said shaft, and meansconnected to said power source for feeding wires one by one to aposition where the end of said wire is engaged by said jaws.

34. A machine according to claim 33 wherein said cutting means comprisesa knife blade having a cutting edge shaped to cut the insulation onlyfrom said wires at a predetermined distance from the end thereof.

35. A machine for processing insulated stranded wire which comprises apower source, a conveying means connected to said power source forcarrying successive wires to a stationary position, a rotatable shaftconnected to said power source axially opposite said position, meansoperated by said power source for imparting longitudinal reciprocatingmotion to said shaft, a pair of jaws mounted on the forward end of saidshaft and rotating therewith,

means on said shaft connected to said power source to open and closesaid jaws, a cutting knife on at least one of said jaws for cutting theinsulation only at a predetermined distance from the end of wiresproflered to said jaws, pads on said jaws for grasping the end of thecut insulation and for supplying pressure through said insulation uponthe strands underneath the cut portion of said insulation whereby saidstrands are twisted when said jaws are retracted while closed when saidshaft is retracted.

36. A machine according to claim 35, and further comprising a flux bathand a solder bath, and means connected to said power source forsuccessively dipping stripped and twisted wires while still being heldby said conveying means after being twisted by said jaws into saidbaths.

37. A machine according to claim 36 wherein said conveying meanscomprises an endless belt, a plurality of wire holders on said belt eachadapted to grasp a wire, means for periodically stopping said belt tocause said wire holding means to be stationary during the period whensaid wires are operated upon by said jaws.

38. A machine according to claim 37 wherein said wire holding membersare mounted on hinges, and means for causing the dipping of said wirescomprising means connected to said power source for moving said wireholders in and out of a dipping position while still holding said wiresafter the ends thereof have been twisted when said wire holders areopposite the respective flux and solder baths.

39. A machine according to claim 38 wherein said wire holding memberseach comprise a spring actuated jaw member adapted to grasp a wirefirmly.

40. A machine according to claim 39 wherein a cam on said machine isprovided to open said jaw members against the action of said springprior to the advancement thereof toward the twisting position of thewire to permit the insertion of the wire therein, the transit of saidjaw member past said cam permitting said jaw member to close upon saidwire prior to reaching the twisting position.

41. A machine according to claim 40, and further comprising a second cammember connected to said machine and positioned in the path of saidconveying means subsequent to said baths and adapted to actuate said jawmember to release the wire after it has been twisted and dipped. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,186,781 Henry June 13, 1916 1,587,093 Van Veen June 1, 1926 1,597,460Nelson Aug. 24, 1926 1,722,087 Hartman July 23, 1929 2,472,510 BennettJune 7, 1949 2,645,959 Fuchs July 21, 1953

